


Near Betrayal

by obs3ss1ons



Category: Station 19 (TV)
Genre: Episode 2.07, F/M, Freakout, Friendsgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 15:46:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16895472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obs3ss1ons/pseuds/obs3ss1ons
Summary: Vic freaks out after thinking Chief Ripley was going to tell everyone about them at the Friendsgiving dinner.





	Near Betrayal

Vic tried to enjoy the food Grant prepared. She tried to enjoy the conversation around her. It was Friendsgiving, after all. But she could not get her anxiety to subside. Her mind raced with thoughts of what she was doing with Ripley. What they had literally just done. In the firehouse. With her coworkers, her family, just outside a locked door.

She caught Ripley watching her but diverted her gaze every time. She didn't know what to do. The idea of him telling her team about their – whatever it was – scared her. That he might've done it without talking to her first pissed her off. And then when he announced Maya's promotion instead, relief washed the other feelings away. But that only left room for new feelings to settle in. Shame. Deceit. Guilt.

As soon as she forced a plateful of food into her churning stomach, she thanked Grant and excused herself. She went into the bunk room, but Jack was actually sleeping. Closing the door quietly, Vic searched out a place she could be alone. She finally just went out to the bay and hopped onto the top of one of the trucks. The brief thought that she should let someone know where she was flitted through her mind. But she couldn't tell anyone what was bothering her except Jack. He needed his sleep.

What had she been thinking? Getting involved with Ripley was probably the worst thing she could've done. Vic, who could not keep a secret for five minutes, was sleeping with the top boss of the fire department. It wasn't illegal, true, but it could still have devastating consequences. For both of them. If people found out, he might be demoted. And how far down would that go? She would just be fired. Then she'd lose her family.  


That was another problem. How could she keep this from the only family she had in Seattle? Especially after what they went through with Andy and Jack. Here she was betraying them all over again. With the Chief. What would they think of her? Would they be able to trust her? Would they want to work with her anymore?

The door to the rest of the house opened. Vic pressed herself against the truck, thankful the person wasn't on the landing. Seconds later, however, she heard the sound of boots on the metal stairs. She sighed. Alone time was over. Vic sat up and looked toward the noise – and of course found Ripley ascending the stairs. She cleared her throat to announce her presence.

His gaze flew to hers, and he smiled. Genuinely. Then he went back down the stairs and strode across the bay toward her. Vic waited until his head appeared over the side of the truck to say, “I'm beginning to think you're following me, Chief.”

He chuckled and settled beside her. “This time I'll admit I was looking for you. Why'd you disappear from dinner so quickly?”

Vic sucked in a breath and laid back down. She stared at the ceiling above, sending up a silent prayer nobody would catch them. There would be no explaining this situation away.

Ripley grasped her hand. When she looked up at him, he asked, “Was it because of what we did in the turnout room?”

“No. Yes. I don't know,” she stammered.

“Victoria, I do not want to make you uncomfortable. I wish I could give you space here with your team, but my job won't let me do that,” he explained.

She nodded as much as she could without lifting her head. “I know. It's just – I don't think I can do this. I want to. Believe me, I want to.”

“But you're worried about people finding out.”

“Yeah, that's part of it,” Vic admitted. “I'm horrible at keeping secrets, especially from my family at Nineteen. And this has the potential to mess with our careers.”

Ripley shifted until he was on his side, facing her. He tangled their fingers together and stared into her eyes. “As much as I enjoy this, I will not put you in a position you don't want to be in. If you want to stop, just say so. Nothing will ever be said about it again.”

She looked at their linked hands and said, “That's the problem. I don't want to stop.”

“Neither do I.”

They were silent for a long minute before Vic blurted, “I thought you were going to tell them. In there. Before we ate. The words you were saying, the way you said them. I thought you were going to tell them everything.”

His hand came up to wipe tears from her cheeks. He pressed his lips to hers for only a second. Then he pulled back and forced her gaze to meet his. “I will never do that. If and when you want your team to know, then you will be the one to do it. I may be tough, but I'm not that much of an ass.”

Vic couldn't stop the laugh from bubbling out. She placed a hand against his cheek. Man she loved the feel of his beard against her skin. With slight pressure, she pulled him back down until their lips met again. They were too exposed to take it where she wanted. And really, she was becoming addicted to his body. But she could enjoy a guilt-free kiss. At least until his phone went off, startling them both.

He yanked his phone out of his pocket and rolled away from her as he answered. Vic watched him as he listened to the caller. His skin paled, and he sat up. She wanted to rub her hand over his back, but that might distract him from what was apparently an important call. When he hung up and looked over his shoulder at her, her anxiety returned. She sat up, not caring who saw them. “What's wrong?”

He sucked in a deep breath and said, “A civilian braving the storm just found an aid car in a ravine on its side. It's located about a hundred yards from Sullivan and Herrera's call location from this morning.”

Vic muffled her cry with her hand. Then she sprang into action. She scrambled over Ripley and down from the truck. Without waiting for him to follow, she ran into the house. She needed to find her team. They needed to get out there and save Andy and Sullivan. Storm or no storm. And she didn't care what Ripley said about them leaving the station. She wasn't exactly scared of him anymore. Of course they really hadn't solved their secrecy problem, but part of her family was in trouble. Her personal issues could wait. Besides, she really did not want someone to catch on and press her about spending so much time with the Chief. She wasn't ready for anyone to know just yet.


End file.
